In high-contact sports, the players frequently wear protective pads. These pads are worn underneath a jersey or other article of clothing, protecting both the player and pads from the elements, as well as serving to identify the player's team. Such contact sports include for example, football, hockey, and lacrosse.
By way of example, the following discussion is directed toward certain problems associated with football, but these concerns are present with the other contact sports mentioned above. Thus, when reference is made to football pads, jerseys, or the like, this is meant to include any athletic pads or jerseys (or other articles of clothing) suitable for use with the present invention.
Each year, over one million people play organized football at the youth, high school, college, and professional levels in the United States. These players wear protective pads and jerseys. These jerseys may hang loose on the wearer, and thus can be grabbed by an opponent. The penalty for `holding` is a common and costly penalty in football.
It is therefore desirable to limit an opponent's ability to grab hold of another player's jersey. In an effort to accomplish this task, linemen have their jerseys tailored to fit as tightly as possible. This method, however, has not proven successful. In the past, equipment managers also sprayed silicone on the jersey to prevent holding and cause the player to slip off that jersey. This has been detected and banned from use during games.
In an attempt to minimize movement of the jersey, some equipment managers place rectangular strips of double-sided vinyl tape on the player's shoulder pads before each game. This method is extremely time-consuming, and also has proven ineffective.
Accordingly, there is a need for a cost-effective means for securing a jersey which is not time-consuming and which is simple to use.